Interactive television systems operate to enhance the experience of a content consumer in a number of ways. Content producers and/or distributors are able to provide enhanced services and features to a consumer. For example, interactive television systems may be capable of executing interactive television (iTV) applications that supplement and enhance the viewing experience of a user. A wide range of interactive television applications may be provided to a user via an interactive television system, ranging from electronic program guides (EPGs) to games and the like.
An interactive television application and its associated data are typically delivered from a headend of a broadcast service provider to a set-top box (STB) of a consumer as part of a broadcast transmission. At the user end, a user device (e.g., the set-top box (STB)) receives the broadcast, extracts the interactive portion thereof, and composes and executes one or more interactive television applications that are embodied in the interactive portion of the broadcast. Data for an application is typically received in a cyclical fashion. In some cases, a user of the device may have long lag times between requesting the data and receiving the data. The lag time depends on where the requested data is in relation to the current data in the cycle. Consequently, unpredictable lag times may lead to an unsatisfactory user experience.